This is the Jeff Merrick Show on the Sports Net Radio Network.

Please do not forget top of the hour, a couple of special guests.

We'll kick it off with Marty Walsh the executive director of the

NHL Players Association also Mike's Iceberger from NHL

com on the Toronto Maple Leafs looking to close out against the Tampa Bay

lightning tonight meanwhile Vegas looked to close out against Winnipeg.

Linda Cohen, our friend from ESPN is bored with me here now and she's in Vegas where

fans there are hoping for a celebration and moving on to the next round and

meanwhile Linda as you all know Rick Bonus is just trying to stay alive for one more game

first of all Linda thanks so much for hopping aboard how are you today good to catch up again.

Hey Jeff same here great to be on as always for sure listen listen I know you have a, yeah, go ahead.

No, I was just going to say it's great to be back in Vegas, but you know how it is in these

playoff series and we've seen so far when you have a chance to win a series at home, a couple of teams or get an edge at home.

Couple of teams have failed to do that.

We saw that last night, of course, with Colorado against Seattle.

And then, of course, we saw Carolina with a chance to eliminate the islanders they couldn't do it.

So you know it's just true to form here Jeff as we always love with these Stanley Cup

playoffs. They're very unpredictable especially in this first round.

Yeah and to your point, you never want to let a team that you have on the mat off the mat.

And listen, the Islanders are feeling like that, the Florida Panthers are feeling like that like you know the vibe and you know before we talk about Vegas and

In Winnipeg here I do want to I do want to I do want to I do want to reference the Seattle Cracken from last night because you wrote something

last night about Philip Groubowers specifically and you know take off the show today I rattled

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